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Advice on how to update/upgrade Win98SE


TimV

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I'm installing Win98SE on a Pentium I (200MHz, 64MB RAM, 4MB ATI 3D Rage II)

It seems there are many update/upgrade packs available and some of them partly overlap. (Auto-Patcher, wupg98en-AFL, 98SE2ME, U98SESP3, etc)

 

Could anyone here recommend which patches/packs to install and in which order?

 

Some info on my plans/wishes:

- Change SYS files to create dual boot option to pure DOS (for DOS gaming)

- Install some Windows 98 games as well (DirectX needed, probably not 9.0c, but that would be fine)

- Use Windows to download some game patches/system software (simple website browsing+download)

- Use Windows to read USB flash drives (mass storage support would be useful)

- I don't know if I really need KernelEx stuff. However, if it will add support for a browser that will run on this hardware, that would be nice.

 

 

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Your system isn't exactly good for browsing, maybe go with an old Opera, or K-Meleon. No need for KernelEx for those.

There is no need to install any Unofficial Service Packs, if it runs fine. Just install all the drivers and these stuff:

- Win98SE Shutdown Supplement (which is kinda of a must) https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/239887

- USB Mass Drivers from here http://www.technical-assistance.co.uk/kb/usbmsd98.php

- DX 8.0 should be fine for most games from 98 era http://www.falconfly.de/directx.htm

- You could also update some system files from WinME, like msimg32.dll, or the defrag/scanfisk stuff. Someone can add some more tips.

The rest of the updates are mostly no-more-important vulnerability patches (who is going to attack 98se computers in today's websites in 2015?)

or hotfixes which are not for every system.

Some of them even are BROKEN (like the SYSDM.CPL update, which removes the CPU info in the Summary tab if you install it)

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I'd install 4.0.950 (95B if HDD size>2 GB) on this. You won't use 98 only apps/games - 3D Rage II is compatible with DirectX 5 only, web browsing is impossible on that and 95 has lower req than 98.

Edited by oscareczek
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Thanks for the suggestions!

That is a very good point, oscareczek. I've checked the games I intend to install and yes, they all should work fine in Win95, and they require DirectX 5 (which matches the video card).

 

I don't intend to do much browsing, but I would like to use an internet connection to download some utilities from websites such as http://www.mdgx.com. I.e. websites designed for old browsers, perhaps not even using CSS, only plain HTML. So I guess even IE5.5 on Win95 would work. :-)

 

What about the USB mass storage support though? I guess I need Win95B osr2.1 or Win95C for any kind of USB support. But then I would need an alternative to MrMateczko's link. - http://www.technical-assistance.co.uk/kb/usbmsd98.php

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I don't intend to do much browsing, but I would like to use an internet connection to download some utilities from websites such as http://www.mdgx.com. I.e. websites designed for old browsers, perhaps not even using CSS, only plain HTML. So I guess even IE5.5 on Win95 would work. :-)

:w00t:

 

http://offbyone.com/offbyone/

 

'nough said ;).

 

jaclaz

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R. Loew also has USB Mass Storage drivers for Win95 (they are free): RLUSB.ZIP

Don't know how they work, but it's good to have more options :)

Direct links to these programs are expressly prohibited.

Any links except to rloew1.no-ip.com are subject to change.

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I don't intend to do much browsing, but I would like to use an internet connection to download some utilities from websites such as http://www.mdgx.com. I.e. websites designed for old browsers, perhaps not even using CSS, only plain HTML. So I guess even IE5.5 on Win95 would work. :-)

:w00t:

http://offbyone.com/offbyone/

'nough said ;).

jaclaz

 

Also try D+ browser. Worked for me even on Pentium 133 with 16 Mb Ram with several tabs. Substantially more "decent" support for CSS (still no floats, but MSFN looks less ugly in it than in OffByOne). Even once posted here with it. However, a couple of years ago it started to crash on some modern websites. Download here: http://sourceforge.net/projects/dplus-browser/

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I also need advice on updating Windows 98 SE, since I'm planning to reformat and reinstall my system after I fscked it up with Gparted to the point of not booting anymore. Before, I had no updates except for KernelEx and NUSB, and I was experiencing slow boot times and waking up from sleep mode sometimes left me with a blank screen, so I'd like to update my system. What's the easiest way to install all of the official Microsoft updates and patches for it? Is there some auto-patcher that works well, or should I just download all of them (or at least the ones with working links  :whistle:) from here? Should KernelEx and NUSB 3.6 be installed after all of the patches and hotfixes, because they'll probably overwrite each other's system files?

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After reinstalling, I somehow didn't run into the problems I experienced last time. My machine now boots in under 30 seconds, standby mode works like it should, and I don't get random freezes or BSODs like I used to. I don't know what I did different. I don't want to mess anything up, so I won't install any hotfixes or patches unless I really need them.

 

I'm pretty impressed by the USB Mass Storage support provided by the NUSB driver for Windows 98! I can pretty much plug in any flash drive, camera, SD card reader, digital photo frame, etc. and have it just work. I plugged in an external USB DVD drive and VLC was able to play DVD movies without any complaints. I've never used Windows 95 on a computer with USB ports, so I don't know how good the XUSBSUPP support is compared to that on Windows 98.

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